1979 Saab 900

GLi Hatchback

4 cyl. 4 stroke

Manual

90792003861

Clear

This 1979 Saab 900 GLi 4 speed manual is an awesome car and I am really reluctant to let it go. These are so much fun to drive! But it needs to be owned by someone who will restore it and keep it garaged, whereas I need a daily driver. I bought it in 2009 and have driven it only a few thousand miles a year since then. The odometer stopped working 6 years ago, so I can't give you actual miles, but I estimate 120K. I have all of the service records. Mechanics tell me that the engine is in great shape for its age (even though you can see from the pictures that it's dirty - I made no effort to clean up the car for listing: what you see is what you get). It drives great, but you do have to jump start it because the battery stopped holding a charge several months ago. I leave that for the new owner to fix. I have been starting and running it weekly throughout the winter because I did't have the emotional readiness to sell it... but my registration is up for renewal so it's time to let go. As you can see from the pictures, the exterior needs to be painted, the decorative strips need updating / replacement, and some of the hub caps are missing a piece (they aren't original anyway, so I would replace them entirely). There are several areas on the body with rust, and the sealant on the hood is peeling. I've checked the car for structural rust and I've been told that it is fine. I replaced the entire exhaust system two years ago. According to my mechanic, the front right brake pad will need to be replaced in several thousand miles. As I mentioned, you need to buy a new battery for the car and check the electrical system to be sure that it's not draining it for some reason. The alternator seems to be working just fine (I put in a new one 3-4 years ago). The air conditioner (compressor) hasn't worked in about 5 years, but I never bothered to replace it. The radio is not original and needs to be replaced, anyway. That's everything off the top of my head -- but feel free to ask questions or I can give you my mechanics phone #. The simplicity and quality of these old Saabs is amazing - if you invest in this car, it will probably drive for another 40 years. Be forewarned that it does not have power windows, locks, or steering -- everything is manual.On Mar-14-18 at 15:53:39 PDT, seller added the following information: I forgot to mention that the hood latch needs repair. The hood closes, but the latch does not keep it secure as before.On Mar-17-18 at 07:03:54 PDT, seller added the following information: I've had multiple bidders asking me whether this car can be driven now. If I had to sign my name on a legal document, my answer would be "no." If a police officer pulled you over, s/he's going to say "no" (VA state inspection expired last November). That said, I drive the car on backroads near my house once a week, for about 15 minutes, to keep it conditioned until it gets the attention that it needs for legit road driving. While the car can be jump started and the motor runs fine, the instrument panel makes a sporadic clicking sound (like the blinker) -- this is either because the battery is very low, or because there is something else going on with the electrical that needs to be fixed. In other words, I have been driving it periodically to take care of the car but I don't drive it for any other reason because it needs to be serviced.